Reasons for Designation
The East Moors in Derbyshire includes all the gritstone moors east of the
River Derwent. It covers and area of 105 sq km, of which around 63% is open
moorland and 37% is enclosed. As a result of recent and on-going
archaeological survey, the East Moors area is becoming one of the best
recorded upland areas in England. On the enclosed land the archaeological
remains are fragmentary, but survive sufficiently well to show that early
human activity extended beyond the confines of the open moors.
On the open moors there is significant and well-articulated evidence over
extensive areas for human exploitation of the gritstone uplands from the
Neolithic to the post-medieval periods. Bronze Age activity accounts for the
most intensive use of the moorlands. Evidence for it includes some of the
largest and best preserved field systems and cairnfields in northern England
as well as settlement sites, numerous burial monuments, stone circles and
other ceremonial remains which, together, provide a detailed insight into life
in the Bronze Age. Also of importance is the well preserved and often visible
relationship between the remains of earlier and later periods, since this
provides an insight into successive changes in land use through time. A large
number of the prehistoric sites on the moors, because of their rarity in a
national context, excellent state of preservation and inter-connection, will
be identified as nationally important.
Details
The monument includes a stone cairn situated on a spur of land overlooking the
Burbage Valley, with a Bronze Age cairnfield and field system to the immediate
north east. The monument lies on gently sloping, open moorland in the eastern
gritstone moors of the Peak District.
The cairn measures approximately 7.5m in diameter and is roughly circular in
plan. It stands about 1m in height and appears to be undisturbed and in good
condition. The cairn is partly covered with turf but some of the stones
forming the cairn are exposed in places. The cairn occupies a prominent
location overlooking a prehistoric cairnfield and field system to the east,
which form the subject of a separate scheduling. Separating the cairn from
the cairnfield is an area of often boggy ground and a small stream. The area
appears to have been avoided by prehistoric farmers as unsuitable for
agricultural purposes, but buried remains may lie beneath the accumulated peat
and turf. To the east of the cairn is a small area of cleared land towards
the edge of the spur, which may be a remote extension of the cleared area of
the cairnfield and field system to the north east. Alternatively, this may
simply be an area where gathered stones were taken for the construction of the
cairn itself. The cairn is larger than most of those in the cairnfield to the
east, indicating that its function may have been different.
The cairn is likely to belong to the Bronze Age period, as with many of the
archaeological remains in the vicinity. Its isolated position, prominent
location, and relatively large size, indicate that it may have been used as a
funerary monument. Since it is undisturbed, any human burial remains are
likely to remain intact. As with many cairns in areas of prehistoric
agricultural activity in this region, the monument may originally have been a
clearance cairn which became enlarged at a slightly later date with the
insertion of human burial remains.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
29798
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
